前苏联共合国乔治亚这一阵子流行用水蛭治疗疾病,以往欧洲人会用水蛭治疗痔疮,乔治亚人把这项疗法发扬光大,用来治疗其他疾病。 1 {2 e3 `$ ~% l( m人在德国 社区人在德国 社区8 i C6 P; G; ~* V
乔治亚很多诊所都提供水蛭疗法,病人得先跟诊所买一只水蛭,更年期妇女先把水蛭放在脖子上,经过一、二十分钟,水蛭吸完血,身体膨胀4倍,就可以取下,接着医师再把另外2只水蛭放在这名妇女上下牙龈上,等吸完血再取出,医师在患者伤口上贴上绷带,就算完成治疗。接受过治疗的妇女说,她们在更年期会出现的潮红和盗汗都有明显改善。4 L+ f( ]/ O+ g# l
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另外,有一些高血压或是经常性头痛病人,也会用水蛭疗法降低血压,或是治疗头痛。一名医师说,不但乔治亚人用水蛭治病,乌克兰、波兰、甚至德国,也有不少人接受这种疗法。 % S! z# q) i2 t$ F" G# A+ B' Z8 w3 m+ ]- }3 y5 V% `$ m % P. M0 ?) q. e, s2 o' r# ~& C人在德国 社区 # \: M+ G3 C5 u: L; X) M7 ] ! b/ R1 f9 [* z( `人在德国 社区1 \7 Q7 E" S" x
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 ; M9 X# D: T$ n人在德国 社区 , ^% F6 l8 m8 t# P4 T2 s* ?" crs238848.rs.hosteurope.deLeeches have been used in medicine for thousands of years. By attaching themselves to the body, and sucking blood from a patient, they were thought to bring health benefits.% w: b: @6 F( [# J
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The idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood. . N- W* `+ S; V4 O) S5 ?& [ A2 B' v$ Z4 k n M- T人在德国 社区That idea fell out of fashion during the 20th century, with the discovery of modern drugs. But today, as interest in traditional medicine grows, they are making a comeback - particularly in the former Soviet State of Georgia. ) c1 S6 V! E8 D8 R5 F人在德国 社区人在德国 社区; |# _- F, z0 U% q {, N6 A# P
Damien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.